60 years on: from despair to joy is an emotional and inspiring film that brings to life the journey from the deep despair of the Holocaust to the joy of celebrating Israel’s 60th anniversary. My goal is to help today’s adults and teens better understand where we all have come from.

The film charts six men’s family history in connection with the Holocaust and then shares their experiences visiting the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Birkenau and then going straight to Israel from Birkenau. Being at the concentration camps shook me to the core and then to be in Israel in time for both Memorial Day and Independence Day, celebrating 60 years since Israel’s founding, was so incredibly moving.

The inspiration for the film arises out of the fact that our generation have some knowledge of the Holocaust and its devastating impact, and then the subsequent founding and growth of the State of Israel, as our parents generation either lived through or passed away as a result of it. However our children are another generation removed from that first hand connection. What they know is learned from textbooks or by listening to us. It is wonderful that is the case but at the same time they have become somewhat distant from their history and the real world. The distractions of hours spent on Facebook, video games and shopping at the mall is leading to detachment and a worrying sense of entitlement.

While it is fantastic that our children live in a relatively trouble free environment, it’s important that we educate them about where they and the world come from and that it has not always been this easy. They need to be aware of the threat of anti Semitism and against Israel’s right to exist and racism in general, as they grow older.

My hope is that you will find seeing the film a valuable experience and gain a deeper perspective on a major issue that has shaped the world over the last 60+ years. And of course it’s still having a major impact on the world today. Thank you for letting me share it with you.
— Clive